


The Frost King

by Jazninja7997



Series: Rise of the Brave Tangled Dragons in Hogwarts - The Ice Queen [2]
Category: Brave (2012), Frozen (Disney Movies), Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, How to Train Your Dragon (Movies), Rise of the Guardians (2012), Tangled (2010)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-22
Updated: 2019-11-22
Packaged: 2021-02-17 21:50:31
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 23
Words: 11,619
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21517018
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jazninja7997/pseuds/Jazninja7997
Summary: Jack landed on the ice, watching Rapunzel get to her feet, staring at him in shock. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair, he breathed out a laugh.The ice beneath his feet suddenly gave way, and Jack was instantly dragged downwards.He heard Rapunzel’s scream, but it was quickly cut off as the freezing water enveloped him, dragging him deeper into the dark water.~Elsa leaned forward slowly, and put her lips gently to the cold surface of the stone, she placed a soft kiss on it. Directly beneath, a faint light pulsed once softly, responding to the Queen's touch. A small snowflake pattern appeared where she had kissed it, and just as quickly, it faded, before a detailed pattern of twisting frost spread over the ice from the base, curling up, around the block.Yes, the ice was magic, but it was not the ice, itself, that Elsa was protecting. Inside the ice, was a boy with white hair, his eyes closed, as if he were asleep.“You will be mine, Jack Frost.”
Series: Rise of the Brave Tangled Dragons in Hogwarts - The Ice Queen [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1550860
Kudos: 7





	1. Chapter 1

“You will be mine, Jack Frost.”

Rapunzel woke with a start. She felt her forehead, completely sweaty. Looking around, she took in her surroundings. Bed. Table. Ceiling. Hair. Wait, what? Rapunzel’s eyes flicked back to the long, golden rope of hair that went down the length of the bed, onto the floor, and piled in a tangled mess that currently looked like a messy haystack.

Then she realised that it was her hair. For a long time she sat so still, a nurse that came in checked her temperature several times. Rapunzel asked where she was every time the nurse came in, but the only real response she would get was “Your amnesia will disappear soon, it’s just temporary”, “give it some time” and “you will be back to normal in no time.”

“But what IS normal?!” Rapunzel demanded, she was scared and confused, and not to mention, not able to remember a thing apart from her name. But the nurse reassured her that her memories would return but she should stay in bed for a bit longer.

After around an hour and still no memory resurfacing, Rapunzel snuck out of the room. She roamed the halls close by, unwilling to go further with the fear she would get lost. At some point she must have sat down in a corner and fallen asleep, because she woke to see a concerned face framed with a thick mass of bright red curls asking if she was alright. Apart from the nurse, the girl and the boy who was with her were the only faces that she could recall from her memory at all. But there was something familiar about the two of them, as if she had known them for longer.

Rapunzel looked at the girl’s face, searching for anything that would help her remember her. At the sight of the girl’s blue eyes something triggered a tsunami of memories in Rapunzel’s mind. The girl’s name was Merida, they were friends, best friends, they had been for several years, and there was another, a boy, Hiccup, he liked Merida, but she didn’t know it, Hiccup had a mechanical leg, but no-one knew why, and they went to Hogwarts, which was a respected school for witches and wizards, but it was also their home.

The memories flooded back to her, flashing past so quickly. She shot to her feet but immediately got dizzy. She swooned, “Hey, HEY!” Merida caught her and lowered Rapunzel back to a sitting position on the ground, and Hiccup ran to the hospital wing, calling for help. “What’s wrong?” Rapunzel stared past Merida. The memories continued to come rushing at her, as if she hit a giant glass wall that was keeping them back, but the tiny dent she made created a huge spider web of cracks, and now the memories broke free, bringing a whirlwind of emotion with them.

“Jack…” She whispered, before her world went black.

~


	2. Chapter 2

“I think she remembered.”  
“Remembered what?”  
“Everything, you dolt! She said his name.”

Rapunzel opened her eyes slowly, her head hurt, again. She groaned.  
Merida and Hiccup stopped their argument and looked down at her.   
“How are you feeling?” Merida asked.   
Rapunzel rubbed her temple. “My head…”  
Merida nodded. “You remember now, don’t you?”   
Rapunzel looked at her, nodding.   
“Well, what happened?”  
Rapunzel concentrated on that night, on the ice. She remembered walking out to Jack, then the ice breaking, and Jack…  
“He saved me.” She said. Merida frowned, and looked at Hiccup in confusion. Hiccup looked just as puzzled.   
“Who?”  
“Jack, he saved me. The ice was breaking,” she remembered the terrifying cracking sound, “I was going to go under, and there was nothing he could do… but…” Rapunzel was lost for words. Jack was too far away to push her, but suddenly she was on the beach, and he was standing on the ice.  
“There was no way he could have got to me fast enough.” Rapunzel looked at Merida. But Merida wasn’t looking at her, in fact, she was avoiding her eyes.   
“Mer?” Rapunzel was suspicious now. “What? What do you know?”   
Merida reluctantly met her eyes. “Punzie, there is a lot about Jack that you don’t know.”   
Rapunzel glanced at Hiccup, but once again, he was not following.   
“Merida?” He asked.  
Merida looked down, but eventually, after a long stretch of silence, she told them everything Jack was keeping from them, including the fact that he could fly.

~


	3. Chapter 3

“But if he can do things like that, then he’s still alive!” Rapunzel said. Merida looked at her sadly, as if pitying her.  
“I don’t know if anyone can survive that.”  
“But if he is still alive, then we have to find him.” Rapunzel pressed on. 

Hiccup sat in his chair, looking philosophical. Merida glanced at him.  
“If he is still alive, then there’s only one way to find him.”  
Hiccup broke from his frozen trance, and looked at Merida.  
“Merida…” he began.  
“We have to.” She replied.  
“It’s a bad idea.” He told her.  
“What?” Rapunzel asked, “What’s a bad idea?” The two of them looked back at her. Merida stood.  
“We’re going to find him, but we’re gonna need help.”

~


	4. Chapter 4

The trio headed up to the headmasters office. To be fair, this was not the first time. Alone, Hiccup excelled in his classes, Jack was intelligent and good humoured, Rapunzel was kind and helpful to everyone, and Merida was popular with the teachers as well as the students, but together they became a force to be reckoned with.

In their first year, they managed to land themselves in the headmaster’s office half a dozen times. What they called funny usually ended up with one or more teachers speaking only Russian for a week because someone accidentally slipped a harmless potion in their goblets for breakfast.  
Once, the four of them thought it would be fun to try and make a polejuice potion, and they all ended up looking like Merida for an hour… from then on Merida decided to tie her hair back when she was in potions class.

Hiccup convinced Merida that they should report Jack's disappearance to the headmaster, it was the proper thing to do in the situation. When they reached the rotating staircase that lead up to the headmaster’s office, they realised that they needed the password. Normally the teachers that sent them up there would say the password, but they would whisper it so that the four trouble makers wouldn’t get any ideas to slip any ‘harmless’ potions into the headmaster’s goblet. And the current headmaster had only been in charge since they began their classes this year.  
“Oh.” Was all Merida said.  
Hiccup hummed thoughtfully and stepped forward. He tapped the gargoyle guard on the head, as if waking it up, and said “Trevor”. Immediately the gargoyle’s eyes started glowing and the staircase started moving.  
Rapunzel and Merida stared at Hiccup like they’d never seen him before. “Professor Longbottom’s only been here a year, how did you know the password?”  
He shrugged. “Total guess. It's his toad's name.”  
Merida continued staring, but Rapunzel grinned, and followed Hiccup up the stairs.  
“Oh.” Merida said again.

They knocked on the headmaster’s door, and the Professor answered, surprised to see the three of them standing there. “How-?”  
Hiccup interrupted him. “I’m sorry Professor, but this is a matter of life and death.”  
The headmaster stood frozen for a moment, but then he seemed to shake himself awake. “Of course, come in.”  
“Thank you sir, look, this is about-” Hiccup trailed off. Merida and Rapunzel looked at him, but he was staring at a middle aged woman with almost snow white hair. Both of the girls seemed hesitant to ask about her identity, Hiccup seemed to know who she was though, but the headmaster introduced her.  
“Students, this is Luna, my wife.”  
Luna smiled at the three of them. Then she turned around and faced a ghost that no-one had noticed was standing behind her. “It was nice to see you again.” The ghost replied that he would always be happy to see her, then turned and, with an impish grin, flew straight through the wall.  
Hiccup shivered, he didn’t really like the ghosts. Luna turned and explained to them, “Fred’s an old friend.” The headmaster nodded and smiled to himself, a little sadly.  
“Now,” he turned back to Hiccup, “what’s this life and death situation?”

Hiccup explained that Rapunzel had recovered from her amnesia, and how Jack disappeared under the ice down at the bay. He said it was extremely possible that Jack may be still alive, when the headmaster assured them that sadly, the water was far too cold for anyone to survive for long, and the ice was thick enough to prevent him from resurfacing.  
“But his- ” Hiccup paused, trying not to look at Rapunzel, “he hasn’t been found yet. The ice has already started melting, but… nothing has turned up.”  
The headmaster frowned. “If you’re sure, then I’ll have to send a search party out, but I don’t know if they will find him.”  
“But, there is another way we can find him-”  
“We will send a search party, I will let you know if they find anything, now… You all should go, it’s exams tomorrow.”  
Hiccup nodded, not satisfied with the result, but it was the best they could do at the moment. He thanked the headmaster, and the three of them headed out. The door closed behind them.

Hiccup stood by the door for a few seconds, thinking the conversation over. He would send people to look for Jack. But why did he feel like there was something else that could be done? Rapunzel and Merida looked back at him from the stairs.  
“What is it?” Rapunzel asked.  
Hiccup crept back to the door, listening in, he could swear he had heard another voice. Pressing his ear to the door, he heard harsh whispers from two people. He tried to make out words.

\- none of your business… Don’t try… Frost

Hiccup’s eyes widened as he recognised one of the voices, it was Elsa.

~


	5. Chapter 5

“Elsa has Jack?” Merida demanded.  
“Yes!” Hiccup exclaimed, a little too harshly, but he was currently still shocked.  
“Are you sure?” Rapunzel asked.   
Hiccup nodded, he was sure the voice behind the door was the queen’s.  
“She was telling Professor Longbottom not to try and look for Jack, so she must have him.”  
“But if she has him, where is she keeping him?” Rapunzel seemed excited now. “Wait, how is he still alive though?” She stopped walking. “I mean, I know he’s still alive, but even if he can fly, and has freezing powers, but he should still be… he should have…”   
Merida put a hand on Rapunzel’s shoulder reassuringly.  
“We’ll find him, everything will be fine.”  
Rapunzel nodded. Merida turned to Hiccup.   
“Looks like we’ll have to do this ourselves.”   
Hiccup nodded. Rapunzel held back the tears that threatened to fall, and nodded as well reluctantly.  
“Right then,” Merida put her hands on her hips, “Time for my idea. Let’s get to work…”

~


	6. Chapter 6

Merida struck a match, she let it fall onto the basin they had placed between the three of them, so they formed a triangle. The flame from the match spread when it touched the metal bowl. Merida took Rapunzel and Hiccup’s hands and closed her eyes. Hiccup frowned.  
“Merida, you do know we are calling the moon, right.”  
Merida opened her eyes to glare at him. “Just shut up and hold hands.” Hiccup complied. Merida opened her eyes, and the flame went out.  
“Uh… creepy.” Hiccup shivered. Merida released their hands. “Merida, was the flame actually necessary?” Hiccup watched her skeptically.   
“Of course not.” She replied. “It’s more dramatic.” She waggled her eyebrows at him.  
Rapunzel laughed. Hiccup frowned, blushing.

The room slowly filled with silver moonlight. Rapunzel looked up, and a saw that the conveniently full moon shone through the windows of the abandoned bathroom. For a moment she thought she saw movement in the corner of her eye and looked over her shoulder discretely. A bespectacled girl was poking her head out from behind one of the bathroom stalls, her ghostly form a flickering a silvery-blue glow. She scowled like they were an inconvenience and dived into one of the toilets with a splash. Rapunzel frowned and shook her head. 

Merida had started chanting, and Hiccup rolled his eyes at her. Merida opened her eyes again, and picked up her wand. She waved a quick circle in the air, and a thin line remained there, floating in front of her face. The light from it cast a small white light on all of them, and the moon seemed to glow a little brighter.

All three heads snapped to attention when a glowing round mirror like object suddenly appeared in the middle of the room. Rapunzel blinked rapidly as the air around it twisted and morphed until it formed the shaped of a large man. The three of them jumped, falling onto their backs and staring at the big booted foot that stepped out of the portal, the rest of the figure following.  
“Okay, who called us?” A deep voice called out in a very thick Russian-sounding accent.  
“North!” A higher, obviously female voice sounded after him. “Where are we?”  
Rapunzel blinked the stars out of her eyes and saw the strangest group of people she had ever seen. There was a large, coated man, with long white hair, and big, black boots, evidently the first out of the portal. A short, round man dressed in gold stood in front of him, and looked around curiously. Rapunzel stared. No, he was gold, his skin and clothes both the same shining colour. The woman who had spoken had wings, she hovered a few inches off the ground, and had her arms crossed as she looked around as if she would rather be somewhere else. Next to her was a very tall rabbit. A very menacing rabbit.  
“Oh my God…” Merida whispered.   
Rapunzel turned to where she had started to get to her feet and approach the group.  
“Merida.” Hiccup hissed in warning.   
North, the large man, looked down at Merida. Of course, he didn’t really have anywhere else to look, he was so tall.   
“You summoned us, girl?”  
Merida blinked suddenly, as if she had been just been shaken awake. Hiccup got to his feet, and Rapunzel could see he was about to defend Merida, but Merida was capable enough of that.

“I must ask you not to address me in such an informal manner, Nicholas St. North, you are here because I called you, and if you honour me a favour tonight, I promise sufficient payment to each of the Guardians.” She looked each one of them in the eye as she said those last words.  
Hiccup and Rapunzel stared at her, open-mouthed. For the first time since they’d met her, Merida’s accent had grown thicker, revealing her Celtic upbringing. North eyed Merida suspiciously, looking from her to the other two. He turned his attention back to Merida.   
“Who are you?”

Merida tensed her shoulders, and Rapunzel remembered how Merida rarely spoke of her past, or her family. When she thought about it, she barely knew anything about her friend. She looked to Hiccup, and realised that there was so much about him she didn’t know either. So many secrets, she thought.  
Merida met North’s intense gaze with a steely one. She raised a hand to her throat and took hold of something. She pulled her hand away, revealing a gleaming silver pendant, attached to a thin, elegant chain that let it hang around her neck. Merida held it up, and the moonlight reflected off of the polished metal. Tossing it to North, he caught it in one hand and looked down at it with a look of surprise.  
“Princess,” he murmured, sounding impressed.   
Merida’s shoulders tensed a little more, and her hands balled into fists.   
“On the request – ” her voice broke a little, and she stopped to swallow. “Of the first born firstborn descendant of Clan Dun'Broch, please…” she looked down and pulled something from under her cloak, Rapunzel gasped quietly when Merida revealed Jack’s Slytherin scarf. “Help us.”

~


	7. Chapter 7

Princess?   
Rapunzel and Hiccup both stared open-mouthed at Merida. She wouldn’t meet their eyes, even when the ‘Guardians’, she had called them, left after agreeing to help them.  
Merida wouldn’t meet their eyes, even after the silence stretched out for what seemed like hours. Finally, Merida broke it.   
“Are you gonna stand there all day with your mouths hangin’ open?” Her accent was so thick now, it came as shock for Rapunzel and Hiccup to hear it. Hiccup scowled and looked away from her. Merida was looking at them now, and caught his expression.   
“What? A girl can have her secrets….” Merida trailed off and looked at her feet, no longer annoyed. Hiccup’s head snapped up at her excuse.   
“Secrets?” He demanded. “Sneaking around the grounds after hours is a secret, Merida,” Hiccup’s voice became more animated, and Rapunzel only just noticed how mad he was, “this, this is huge.”  
“Hiccup,” Rapunzel tried to reason with him, “It’s Merida, I’m sure- ” Hiccup cut her off.   
“What? That she had a reason? That it’s ok?”

Merida looked at Hiccup pleadingly, but wouldn’t defend herself. For the first time, the fire that normally possessed Merida was no longer driving her. Hiccup ran a hand through his hair and looked away, growling in frustration. Rapunzel wrapped her arms around herself, as if she could protect herself from the conflict that was unravelling between the three of them.  
“Is anything you told us real?” Hiccup was fuming now. “How do I know that you aren’t one of them? How do I know that what happened to Jack wasn’t because of those….”  
“Guardians.” Merida whispered. “And they didn’t take him. You know it was Elsa, you heard yourself.”   
Hiccup glanced back at her, and considered her for a moment. But he was still angry at her, Rapunzel could see it, and she knew that Merida could see it too.

Merida swallowed and tried to steady her voice.   
“Hiccup, I know that you don’t want to listen to me, and I can understand if you never want to speak to me again, but right now we have to find Jack, and I know the guardians can help us.”  
Hiccup turned away from her, but he knew she was right, and after a long pause he turned back to face her. Rapunzel knew that Hiccup would forgive her, he could never be truly mad at Merida, and so this shocked Rapunzel that he was angry. But she could also see that he was hurt, hurt that Merida kept something this big from them.  
“Ok.” Was all he said.  
Merida nodded gratefully at him, and Rapunzel smiled at her supportively.

~


	8. Chapter 8

“DRAGON!” Merida screamed as Toothless landed several feet in front of them. Hiccup smirked, taking some pleasure in Merida’s terrified expression. Rapunzel was surprised too, but quickly overcame her fear when Toothless gave Hiccup a ‘toothless’ grin and belched loudly. Hiccup waved a hand in front of his face in an attempt to avoid the smell of fish that had evidently been Toothless’ last meal, but Rapunzel squealed in delight and ran straight for the dragon.

Normally Toothless was very defensive against humans he didn’t know, and so it impressed Hiccup when Toothless appeared completely satisfied to let Rapunzel scratch his chin and then roll onto his back and emit a sound that Hiccup found to be close enough to a laugh.  
Hiccup only now noticed that Merida was clutching his arm and still hiding behind him. He gently shook his arm free and grabbed Merida’s wrist. Merida gasped and tried to resist, but Hiccup lead her over to Toothless and placed her hand gently on his side. Merida froze, and Toothless turned his head to look at her curiously. He got to his feet and sniffed Merida cautiously, after a moment he turned away from her and approached Hiccup, nudging him in search of food.  
“No no no no no. Toothless, I don’t have anything for you.” Toothless made a sound like a bark and continued to sniff him. Hiccup blew out a breath. “Although by the smell, you’ve already had lunch…”

Hiccup looked back and saw that Merida and Rapunzel were staring at him. He looked back, a little sheepishly.   
“Ok, so maybe I have some secrets too.”   
Rapunzel blinked and spotted Toothless’ saddle on his back. She grinned and approached Toothless again. She leapt straight up to the spot in front of the seat and patted Toothless on the head, which he seemed to enjoy. Hiccup sat himself behind Rapunzel, and held out a hand to Merida.  
Rapunzel guessed that she had been shocked enough for one day, as Merida took his hand without complaint, and wrapped her hands around his waist for safety. Rapunzel smiled to herself, knowingly, before she patted Toothless again.  
Hiccup adjusted his prosthetic leg into the fitted slot on the side of the saddle.   
“Let’s go buddy.”

Toothless shot skyward, and the four of them headed over the forbidden forest, the castle, and the bay. They headed to the North Pole, where the Guardians were waiting for them.

~


	9. Chapter 9

The trio landed on a deserted beach apparently on the coast of Iceland. Hiccup was adamant that Toothless needed to rest. The girls wouldn’t admit it, but they were both exhausted as well. Despite the fact that a dragon ride was a lot less expensive than a ride on a boat or a muggle plane, it was slower. They had been flying for hours, and they were barely half-way to the North Pole.

Hiccup loosened the harness on Toothless’ back and not a second after he had stepped away, Toothless collapsed and curled up into a ball to sleep.  
Merida looked back at the black, snoring heap, amazed that he would be content on the cold, slippery rocks on the beach. Shuddering, she rubbed her arms, and breathed out a sigh. Hiccup walked over and stood beside her. The stood in silence for a few minutes, Rapunzel had disappeared soon after they had landed in search of life, a nearby village or town, she said. Left alone, Merida felt the full weight of the space that now spread out between her and Hiccup, she tried to break the silence with conversation.

“It’s bloody freezing.” She muttered, staring at the ocean. When all else fails, talk about the weather. Merida mentally kicked herself. Still, her teeth were chattering. Hiccup glanced at her. After a moment Merida felt something on her shoulders. Looking up, she saw that Hiccup had placed another cloak over her.   
“Where’d you get that from?” she asked.  
Hiccup dug around in his pocket before pulling out a duffle bag. Merida blinked.   
“Undetectable extension charm.” Hiccup said, matter-of-factly. He dropped the bag onto the rocky ground and sat beside Merida. Merida felt guilty for lying to him for all these years, but she also felt angry that he felt so strongly about it, and with no explanation. And now that she knew that he was keeping secrets too, she couldn’t keep it down any longer.

Merida picked up a medium sized rock from the shore. Hiccup was watching her out of the corner of his eye. Merida walked a few meters out to the water. Gripping the stone, she tossed it as hard as she could out onto the ocean. She was watching it so closely, as it rebounded off the tiny waves, that she didn’t notice Hiccup get up and stand behind her. When he spoke, the hair on the back of her neck stood up at how close he was.   
“You’re angry.”  
It wasn’t a question. Merida kept her eyes on the pale horizon. “When I told you who I really was, you were angry.”  
Hiccup said nothing. Merida turned to look at him now, Hiccup had known her long enough to know when she was sad or upset, even when no-one else could tell, but right now, there was no sadness in her eyes, only anger.   
“You kept your past a secret, Merida. So sue me if I’m wrong, but lying about yourself is still lying, and that’s what you did, you lied to us.”  
Merida looked hurt for a second, but she straightened and stood her ground.   
“I don’t have to explain to you why I lied, but I will, because you’re my friend, because I trust you.” Merida knew that these words would hurt Hiccup, that their friendship was always a sensitive topic, and she spoke without a hint of gentleness. Hiccup’s face fell, and he looked away. But Merida was not finished yet.  
“You never told us about your pet!” She gestured to the sleeping dragon further along the shore. “Is that why you have that leg?” Merida stepped towards Hiccup and pointed at his prosthetic leg. Hiccup looked up at her in shock, none of them ever mentioned his lack of limb, it wasn’t right, and it didn’t need to be said. But Merida was on a roll, and nothing like politeness ever stopped her.  
“You kept secrets. You lied to us, Hiccup.” Merida poked a finger at him, and shoved him in the chest. Normally Hiccup was much stronger than her, but they were on rocky terrain, and with every word Merida spoke, Hiccup’s strength seemed to leave him. He lost his footing, and stumbled back. Merida was still fuming and didn’t react fast enough to Hiccup grabbing her arm for balance. They fell back onto the cold ground.  
Blinking, Hiccup tried to get his bearings. It only took him a second to realise that Merida was on top of him. When she looked down, their faces were almost touching. They froze, and it was as if time itself had slowed down to watch them. Hiccup forgot about the cold, and where they were, and what they were doing there, he only knew the blue of Merida’s eyes in her round, freckled face. Merida looked back at him, her hands on his chest. She glanced down at his lips, and Hiccup knew that he may never get this chance again. Without a second thought, he bent his head up and kissed her.

~


	10. Chapter 10

Merida jerked her head back.  
Her eyes widened in shock, then squinted at Hiccup in anger. She tried to sit up, but only managed to hold herself above Hiccup by putting her hands on his shoulders. Hiccup had put his arms around her, and this kept Merida from being able to move too far away, so she was still lying on top of him, and her face still close to his.  
“What do you think you’re doin’?” She hissed through her teeth, her accent had gotten thicker, which told Hiccup that she was caught off guard. Hiccup didn’t respond, but looked up at her unapologetically and released her. Merida scrambled off him and started walking away, her arms wrapped around herself as she stalked along the shore.  
Hiccup sat up and watched her go, his feelings of triumph leaving him already. Now he just felt empty. 

~


	11. Chapter 11

Rapunzel walked down where Hiccup was still sitting. She had waited until Merida had moved away before approaching, having seen the two of them fall only moments ago. When she sat beside him he wouldn’t look at her, his eyes just watched the skyline. Neither of them spoke, and Rapunzel looked up at the grey sky, it was probably sometime around noon, but there was hardly any light coming through the thick clouds. When Hiccup spoke Rapunzel almost jumped. His voice was soft, but sounded pained, Rapunzel wasn’t surprised at that.  
“How long have you known?” He still wasn’t looking at her.  
Rapunzel thought for a moment, thinking her next words through carefully.   
“As long as you have I’d imagine.” She watched his face, but he still wasn’t meeting her gaze. She looked back at the shore, and spotted Toothless a few meters away, still snoring.  
“I tried.” Hiccup said, rubbing his face. Rapunzel looked at him, and tried to meet his eyes again, but he wouldn’t look at her. “I tried to forget. Forget how I feel, I know she’d hate me for it, but…” His voice broke, and Rapunzel put her hand on Hiccup’s shoulder and hugged him. Hiccup rested his head on hers, and breathed deeply.  
“It’s ok. It’ll be fine” Was all she said. Hiccup sighed sadly, his breathing uneven, and Rapunzel held him there, the only thing stopping him from falling apart and sinking, piece by piece, into the dark, cold sea.

~


	12. Chapter 12

At the North Pole, the large bearded man stomped about his workshop, as elves scattered wherever his booted foot were to land.  
“BUNNY!” He bellowed.  
The Easter Bunny yelled back to him, from across the room. “I’m comin’, don’t get all haughty on me…”   
North grunted, hands on his hips. Glancing around, the elves skittered from place to place, some carrying toys or parts, others, obviously, hiding cookies in their tiny shirts.

The Tooth Fairy buzzed impatiently around North, her iridescent wings shining beams of light into his already tired eyes.  
“Eh!” North shook his hands through his grey hair, and kicked the closest table. The yeti working at that table cried out in dismay as a pyramid of blue dolls tumbled to the floor. “RED! I said paint them red!” The Yeti grumbled under his breath and reassembled the dolls, picking up the top most one, he began to hand paint it cherry red.

“North!” The rabbit bounded down the stairs, taking them 4 at a time, and jumped the last set to land in front of North. “It’s finished.”   
North nodded at him once, and then stepped into the elevator by the stairs. Tugging the rope, he yelled to the Yetis at the top floor.   
“Up!”   
Immediately, he ascended and stepped out onto the still-in-renovating top floor of the workshop. North strode towards the glowing crystal that sat in the centre of the new floor, and glanced at the opening window on the dome ceiling. It revolved until the still-full moon was visible, and its light shone through the square, and onto the beautiful crystal. North turned his attention back to the crystal, and the other guardians surrounded the stone.  
“Show us, old friend,” North murmured, “show us the queen.”

The crystal began to glow brighter, and an image started to form on the surface of the stone. A gleaming castle, standing on a lonely mountain, in the middle of a snow storm appeared. Suddenly the image changed, and the beautiful face of the queen came into view. She looked about almost defensively, and there was a hungry look in her eyes. The image changed again, and this time it just looked like the crystal, but there was something inside the crystal itself. A young boy, with white hair was asleep, and encased in ice.

~


	13. Chapter 13

Merida, Rapunzel and Hiccup landed in the North Pole a few hours later, and Merida was the first to step off Toothless the dragon, and greet the Guardians. Rapunzel and Hiccup followed, Toothless stayed close to Hiccup, and was extremely careful around the elves.  
Merida walked ahead of them, talking with the bearded man, North. Hiccup watched Merida continue to act as if nothing fazed her, though he knew the truth. He wanted to be angry with her, but instead he just felt pained. He followed behind the group, with Toothless beside him. Rapunzel remained by his side too, but her attention was taken up by the fluttering wings of the fairy that hovered on ahead of her. This made Hiccup smile, at least on the inside.

They reached an elevator, but it was small, and Merida stepped into it with North and the rabbit. The fairy followed them up on her own, leaving Hiccup, Rapunzel and Toothless to the stairs. Toothless grumbled, and rolled over, intent not to take another step, let alone climb a full flight of stairs. Toys and machinery were knocked over by his wings and tail as he wriggled into a comfortable position for a nap. Rapunzel sighed, and headed to the base of the staircase, Hiccup following suit.  
When the two of them joined Merida and the Guardians at the top floor, Rapunzel froze. In the middle of the room was a giant blue crystal, and a boy was inside it.

“Jack!” She sobbed, running toward to crystal. As she approached it, however, Jack seemed to warp and glimmer. Rapunzel stood still, not sure what to make of this.  
“It’s only an image.” A deep voice came from behind her. Rapunzel couldn’t take her eyes away from Jack, but she felt a strong hand on her shoulder. North stood beside her, watching the image in the crystal fade and reanimate.   
“We use the stone to help us see things, but your boy Jack is not here.”  
Rapunzel gave in to the mass of emotions that had been weighing on her chest since Jack slipped beneath the ice. She gulped and collapsed on the floor, sobs taking over her body. Merida rushed to her side and pulled Rapunzel into her arms. Hiccup knelt by them too, holding Rapunzel’s shoulder.  
“Where is he?” Hiccup asked North.

North eyed Hiccup hesitantly, then he looked at Rapunzel’s shaking head, her sobs were now quiet and weak. Finally he glanced at Merida, whose expression was a strange mixture of rage and compassion.  
“The ice queen,” North said finally, “she has him.”  
"We know that." Merida snapped. "But where is she keeping him?"  
Rapunzel looked up at North, her eyes were red from crying, and her cheeks and nose were pink too. North continued.  
"In her ice castle, in the Mountains on the outskirts of her kingdom. We can help you get him back, but she is strong, and to go against her is insanity.”   
The trio watched North expectantly. He smirked, and glanced at the guardians. It was the rabbit who spoke, his accent identifying him as Australian.  
“Good thing we happen to excel in that particular area.”

~


	14. Chapter 14

Their plan was crazy. Hiccup endured a fierce argument from his own common sense that this was the worst idea they’ve ever had. As he stared up at the ceiling, he pondered over the likelihood that they would fail, and found himself wondering whether he was prepared to go so far. Immediately Hiccup banished such selfish thoughts from his mind, and groaned inwardly in disgust. They had to save Jack, he would do anything to save his friends. To hesitate meant he was a terrible and unworthy friend.

Sitting up from the mostly empty workbench he had flopped down on in his exhaustion, his legs dangled from the edge, as if he were too lazy to make himself comfortable. He peered around the room. Merida had taken Rapunzel and, following North, led her down a hallway to a spare room to rest. Hiccup’s chest ached at the memory of Rapunzel’s desperate sobs and her tear-streaked face a few minutes earlier. They just had to find Jack, and if not for the sake of his best friend, then for Rapunzel’s sake.

~


	15. Chapter 15

Merida sat by Rapunzel’s side, watching her sleeping face and felt glad that she was finally sleeping. Most of their journey to the North Pole involved holding on to Toothless as they were battered by the freezing wind, and when they stopped to rest for the day she noticed Rapunzel sleeping restlessly, or not at all.

Rapunzel’s face shifted slightly, and she let out a quiet moan. Merida sat forward, suddenly worried, but Rapunzel didn’t wake, she was only dreaming. Merida blew out a sigh and sat back again, she patted Rapunzel’s hand and glanced by the door. It was open slightly, and Merida knew she had to walk back out there, she told Hiccup that she would return once Rapunzel was settled, and her heart felt heavy with guilt at the thought of being alone with him again. Standing, she leaned back over Rapunzel, and pulled her blanket higher over her shoulders, tucking her in gently. She turned away and tiptoed out of the room.

Closing the door behind her, Merida walked slowly back out to the workshop. Hiccup sat up straight when she returned, and Merida started, suddenly nervous and she found herself blushing. Hiccup opened his mouth to speak but Merida beat him to it.   
“Rapunzel’s sleeping, I think it’s just been too much for her.”   
She looked away for a moment and picked up a small robot toy from the bench next to her. Hiccup closed his mouth, and looked down at his hands in his lap. His next words he chose carefully, he didn’t want to fight with her.   
“Do you really think this is wise Mer?” He looked back at her cautiously. 

Merida’s head tilted to the side a little, but still didn’t meet his eyes. She fiddled with the painted red robot in her hands, turning it over and running her fingers over the seamless metal joints. She was stalling, Hiccup realised, she didn’t want to admit how scared she was. Hiccup stood slowly and stepped forward. Merida looked up quickly and shuffled back a little without thinking. Hiccup’s face held a pained look but he quickly hid it, and approached the bench that Merida was standing by. Picking up one of the robots, he examined it, he twisted the stick-figure arms so that they hung by the robot’s sides casually. Merida watched Hiccup as he adjusted the toy and set it back down on the bench. 

“It’s a nifty little thing isn’t it?” He asked her, Merida looked down at the robot, standing on its own. “It’s got some pretty fine machinery for a toy…” Hiccup swallowed and shifted his weight. Merida caught the movement and, without meaning to, her eyes drifted to where Hiccup’s leg became metal, and watched for a moment as the spring inside the iron leg contracted and extended when he moved. She looked up and realised that Hiccup was watching her. Blushing again, she turned away, but Hiccup grabbed her arm gently, and pulled her into a hug.

For a moment she stiffened, but relaxed after a few seconds, realising how safe she felt in Hiccup’s arms. For a moment she forgot all of the tension and conflict between the two of them, she pushed her worried thoughts of Hiccup’s confessions to her away, letting her own fear and anger leave her mind. Just for a moment she was content. Laying her head against his chest, she breathed slowly, gaining control of her own racing thoughts and keeping the tears at bay. When Hiccup spoke, Merida felt his voice vibrate in his chest.  
“I wish you could feel the same way I do…”   
Merida stiffened at these words. She started to pull away, but Hiccup kept speaking.   
“But I can’t force you, if I did, what kind of monster would I be?” Hiccup’s voice was steady, and Merida couldn’t see him blink the tears out of his eyes as he rested his chin on her head.

Merida squeezed her eyes shut, causing tears to roll down her own face. Merida hugged Hiccup tighter, as if she were scared that he might disappear. Why couldn’t she love him back? Why did she feel nothing but guilt when she thought of him? For once Merida wished she could be forced to love, that her stubborn heart would feel as it should.

Before either one could say another word, there was a loud droning sound that came from the top floor of the work shop, where the crystal was. Merida released Hiccup quickly and both of them rushed to the railing in a panic. North, and the man-sized rabbit were rushing into the elevator on the other side of the level Hiccup and Merida were on. North was leaning forward and gesturing wildly as he spoke to the rabbit. Their words travelled, unheard by the two teenagers, as they were hurled upwards quickly in the elevator. As they drew closer to the top floor, Tooth and the Sandman drifted weightlessly onto the deck alongside them. Merida and Hiccup traded wide-eyed glances, and bolted towards the stair case.

They sprinted up the steps so fast that it was a miracle that neither of them fell, and they made it quickly to the top, the siren still blaring. In the centre, the crystal had been lowered back down, beneath the floorboards, and bright yellow and red lights flashed in warning.  
“What’s going on?” Hiccup asked North, keeping pace with him as the large man stomped around heavily flipping switches and turning dials.   
“The ice queen’s castle, we’ve located it.” North boomed in response. Hiccup stood still for a moment, before following the Guardians as they huddled in front of the control board, Hiccup had to admire the skilled craftsmanship, all of the controls were small and precise. Merida shuffled to Hiccup’s side and tugged at his sleeve, he looked down at her and raised his eyebrows in a question. She was pointing at the giant Earth model that hung in the air a meter above the ground. It’s usual display showed thousands of yellow lights across the globe, but now there was one single blue light, somewhere close to the top. Unlike the yellow lights that flickered like candle flames, the blue light glowed strong and certain. North grunted and pointed at the blue light.  
“There, that’s where she’s keeping him.”

Hiccup and Merida stood open-mouthed, staring at the shining blue dot, as if it held the answers to the universe. Again, Hiccup realised that finding their friend would be the least of their problems. If Jack was with Elsa, they would have to go through her to get to him. Hiccup looked down at Merida, who stood frozen at his side, her face determined as she kept her eyes trained on the globe. He knew, without any hesitation, that Merida would tear through heaven and hell to save Jack, and bring him back. Her loyalty to her friends never faltered, and now it shone through, as bright as day. Hiccup heart skipped a beat, and his stomach tied itself in knots. He loved Merida, more than anything, but he knew, with painful assurance, that she would never return his feelings.

Suddenly footsteps sounded behind them and both of them turned as Rapunzel leaped up the stairs. Her long hair trailed behind her like tangles of golden thread. Merida held her hands up to stop her. “Rapunzel, you should be in bed…” Rapunzel ignored her, pushing past her to stand right in front of the huge globe. The light from the chandelier and oil lamps around the room enveloped her small figure, making her nothing but a silhouette. The only part of her that Hiccup could see was her golden hair, which only reflected more of the light, making it glow. The sight of Rapunzel staring up at the metallic sphere was heart-wrenching. Hiccup knew how much she cared for Jack, even when he had all but broken her heart, she loved him.  
After a moment, Rapunzel turned back to them, and her face was only just visible, still shadowed by the light of the globe. If he squinted, Hiccup could see the shine of a tear as it rolled down her cheek.

North grunted from where he stood behind the dials, and pressed some buttons. The globe shifted slowly downwards, and turned on its invisible axis so that the point where the blue light beamed was only a metre above their heads. North grunted again, this time Hiccup thought he heard a hint of frustration when he did. “Queen Elsa reins over the kingdom of Arendale, but her palace is high in the mountains.”   
The tall rabbit beside North hopped around the table and stood in front of the globe. Rapunzel had to shuffle out of his way, and made her way over to Hiccup and Merida. The rabbit pointed his boomerang at the blue light.   
“She’s been that close this whole time?” he demanded. “We should have known it wouldn’t have been far!”

Rapunzel, Hiccup and Merida exchanged confused looks before Merida finally spoke up.   
“What do you mean that close? How close?”  
North turned to the trio.   
“She’s around two thousand miles that way.” He pointed out a window to their right.  
Merida’s head snapped back to North. “Are you crazy? That’s not close at all!”  
Hiccup swallowed, he couldn’t really picture how far 2000 miles was, but he decided it was far. Very far.  
North Grunted again, but this time he crossed his arms and smirked at Merida, who was puzzled by this. North glanced at his fellow Guardians, on either side of him, before speaking.   
“I can get you three there in the blink of an eye.” Suddenly a loud crashing noise sounded behind them, and Hiccup turned to see Toothless trudge up the last of the stairs and over to him and his friends. North chuckled. “the four of you then.” He turned and started towards the stairs, the others following him.

Once they were all on the lower floor, North pulled a leaver by the elevator and the doors opened. North, Merida, Rapunzel and Hiccup all squeezed into the small elevator, and the doors shut. They were quickly lowered down to the bottom of the workshop, to what Hiccup could only imagine to be a basement of sorts. Or a dungeon…  
Toothless, the Fairy and the Sandman all glided down after them, and when they came to a stop, Hiccup jumped as the rabbit bounded suddenly out of a hole in the ground that quickly closed up, leaving only a flower where it had once been. Hiccup’s confusion would have to wait though, because North immediately ushered them towards what looked like a carriage, except strapped to it were 6 huge reindeer. 

It couldn’t be that sleigh. Hiccup thought. That’s only a story. But sure enough, once they were seated inside it, North spurred the reindeer on and yelled “Yah!” the sleigh surged forward and sped towards the light of the exit, Toothless bounding gleefully behind them.  
Flying in a sleigh was quite different to flying on a dragon, Hiccup decided. He also decided that he didn’t like it. Not one bit.

~


	16. Chapter 16

Elsa gripped the railing that lined the balcony on her beautiful ice palace, and tried to calm her breathing. She was anxious, it was time to release Jack from the ice. It had been her intention all along. She needed him, and he needed her. And she decided he was sad inside the ice, lonely, and she would be his friend, she would protect him. 

The wind had also told her that they were coming. The Guardians. They were coming for her, and they were coming for Jack. They would take him away from her, and they wouldn’t be together. She knew she had to protect him, because he was like her, and that meant that he belonged with her, just like she belonged with him. He was special, like her.

The loneliness was all she knew. Alone was good… alone was safe. They had to be together, but they had to be alone. Otherwise fear would win, and fear was her enemy. She had already frozen one heart, and though Anna had forgiven her, and love had thawed her heart, Elsa couldn’t risk fear again, or love might not be enough next time.

She took a deep breath, and walked back inside, to where Jack was waiting. Holding a hand out, Elsa softly touched the cold surface of the ice, and recalled the moment when Jack came to her at the beginning, when she brought him here, to protect him. Joy, desire and admiration flowed through her, and she channelled those thoughts into the crystal. Slowly the ice began to disintegrate into delicate flakes, which floated for a moment before gently falling onto a growing mound on the translucent floor.

After a few moments, two pale, bare feet lowered onto the tiny hill of snow. Elsa looked into those deep blue eyes, her anxiety returning, and she was suddenly nervous. Jack stared at her without speaking, his face impassive, his blue eyes bore into hers. Finally he spoke, his voice low and cold.   
“How dare you.”   
Elsa’s jaw dropped. She hadn’t expected him to be angry, and his unforgiving tone shocked her. Jack didn’t look away, but Elsa found that she could no longer hold his gaze. Jack stepped forward, leaving footprints in the unmelting snow. Where he stepped on the floor, spiralling frost patterns appeared and spread. The patterns were beautiful, but they were fast, erratic, the only tell to his simmering rage apart from his voice when he spoke. He was taller than the queen, only just, but his anger made him seem more threatening, especially when she stood scared and cowering.

The wind may whisper to her, but it answered to only to him, and he felt it call to him from the mountainside, telling him exactly where he was. He could walk out, then and there, and find his way home easily, but his anger at the queen kept him there. But there was another emotion that made him stay, somehow, a feeling of familiarity tickled his mind, and Jack found that he wanted to stay, to ask her…  
Elsa sensed the small change in his demeanour, and straightened, confident once more.

“You feel it, don’t you?” She asked, though it wasn’t quite a question.  
Jack’s face relaxed slightly, understanding flickering across his features. The queen took this as confirmation, though she wasn’t really looking for it. She took a step towards him.  
“You felt it then too, that night, in the Great Hall…” Elsa stopped right in front of him, close enough that she could hear his breathing, “we are meant to be together.”   
She leaned in, her eyes on Jack’s lips. Jack’s hands gripped her upper arms, holding her still. Their lips were only inches away, and he could feel her cool breath on his face.  
“You’re insane.” He breathed, releasing her and turning away.

Elsa stood with wide eyes as the person she had been pursuing these past few weeks, with the ultimate certainty in their connection - walked away from her. Sinking to her knees, she stared at nothing as his footsteps retreated slowly, growing fainter.  
Suddenly she understood. It was clear as day! If Elsa could not convince him with words, then she would have to show him. Slowly getting to her feet, the Ice Queen extended her hand, and let loose a sparkling trail of ice shards, which materialised out of the frozen floor, pointed to the sky. The shards continued to shoot up from the floor, heading in the direction in which Jack had started, towards the doors, quickly blocking his exit. Jack turned back to the Queen, his surprise giving way to irritation, then anger, as he started towards her.

~


	17. Chapter 17

Hiccup had been skeptical, even when North revealed that their transport to Elsa’s castle was a flying sleigh, pulled by magical reindeer, that they would travel 2000 miles in only a few moments. However, when they had flown through a portal of some sort that North created by throwing what looked like a snow globe into the air in front of them, Hiccup could barely believe his eyes when a glistening ice palace sat on the mountainside before them.  
The ice queen’s castle shimmered like a single shard of glass, sticking straight up, out of the mountainside. It was beautiful, hypnotising, and Hiccup could have starred at it all day - if it weren’t for the fact that it was quickly collapsing.

The sleigh made a jerking turn downward to avoid a huge pillar that flew directly over their heads, stray pieces of ice following it. Hiccup ducked too late, and the last thing he saw was Merida’s wide eyes, and mouth open to scream, before he was knocked out of the sleigh.

“Hiccup!” Merida screamed. She almost pitched herself out of the sleigh, but Rapunzel grabbed Merida’s shoulder, and pointed. Merida starred as Hiccup rose to meet her eyes, just a few feet away. He was staring on Toothless’ back, looking just as shocked as she felt.  
Another giant, frozen boulder flew past them, and Hiccup jumped down into the saddle, locking his prosthetic leg into the saddle's grip.  
They all looked down, at the base of the castle was a giant snow beast. It roared at them, shards of icy teeth showing from its huge jaw, and long claws glinted.

Merida shared a wide-eyed look with Rapunzel, both of them gripping the railing of the sleigh tightly. Merida turned quickly, searching for Hiccup, but he was already gone. Another roar from the ground caused her to look down, and she saw Hiccup battling the snow beast from his dragon. Toothless shot huge, blue fireballs from his mouth, making the snow beast bellow with rage.  
“Merida!” Rapunzel had to yell over the wind. “He’ll be fine, we have to find Jack. We’ll come back for him.” Merida blinked back tears, and nodded. She looked over the railing one more time, and Hiccup looked up, facing her. He nodded once, then descended, Toothless roaring.  
The sleigh sped up, closing in on the castle.

~


	18. Chapter 18

Elsa kicked the floor with her heel, hard. Ice sprung up in every direction, shooting in a straight line towards where Jack stood. She had meant to stop just short of him, but he had taken a step closer, and a single shard stopped an inch to the left of his face. At first she though he’d dodged it, but squinting, she realised she had cut him.

A single drop of blood rolled down his chin, and dripped to the floor, but Jack just stared, his expression unchanging.  
Suddenly he moved, faster than she could follow. Wind started to push her back and she raised her hands to cover her eyes, at the same time, she erected a wall of ice in front of her. Jack burst through the ice, his face furious. He landed right in front of her, crouched, head down.

Elsa stood still, her face impassive. Jack tilted his head back slightly, looking up at her from under his brows. He stood, and reached out towards the queen, his teeth bared, almost snarling, but she easily knocked his hand away and grabbed his shirt collar, holding him in place. Her other hand rested over his chest, where his heart was beating quickly.

Their eyes met, and for a moment, Jack felt a flicker of fear. As if sensing this change, the queen’s eyes widened the smallest bit, and her mouth twitched up into a cold smile.

~


	19. Chapter 19

North landed the sleigh, and Rapunzel leapt out, running towards the doors of the castle. North cried out it alarm   
“Wait! We don’t know what else she’s got guarding the place…”   
Rapunzel couldn’t hear the rest, the sound of her own blood pumping in her ears drowned it out. All she knew was that Jack was inside, and she needed to get to him. The doors drew closer, and Rapunzel reached out to grab the handle. She had almost closed her hand around it when an inhuman shriek filled the air, and Rapunzel was knocked off her feet.

~

Jack heard the deafening cry from outside and his head whipped around. He could hear the sound of a fight coming from the direction of the door, and tried to pull away from Elsa’s grasp.

“Oh no you don’t,” Elsa hissed through gritted teeth, her hand tightening its steel grip, “if I can’t have you…”   
Jack looked back at her, shock widening his eyes to reveal the deep blue that matched Elsa’s so perfectly. Elsa looked into them, grief held her like a vice, regret filling her voice. She swallowed and looked down, trying to gather strength to continue. Jack tried again to pull away, but she held him fast, pulling him closer. She leaned in and placed a slow, soft kiss on his lips. He blinked, confusion and fear fighting inside behind his eyes.  
Elsa felt a tear escape and fall down her face. She looked back up at him, and then leaned in to whisper in his ear.   
“No one can.”  
Elsa drew back and placed the hand she left hovering onto the centre of his chest, slightly to the left, over his heart, and pressed.  
Jack’s eyes widened, and his mouth opened in a breathless gasps. First came the shock, and the panic, then came the pain.

~


	20. Chapter 20

When Rapunzel looked up, wincing, she was greeted by a face full of snow. She cried out and shook the snow off, she had some help when Toothless licked half of it off. Apparently the snow beast had climbed up the mountain, and Toothless blasted it to pieces after it knocked her over. Rapunzel saw that Hiccup was not in the saddle, and looked around.

Merida was walking towards where Rapunzel was, and had Hiccup’s arm over her shoulders, letting him lean on her. He had his other arm around his waist, as if he were hurt. She registered that they were both alive and breathing, and she stood, shaking off the rest of the snow, and opened the door.  
At first, Rapunzel couldn’t see anything, the setting sun shone through the ice and reflected off the multiple pillars and walls, temporary blinding her. She blinked a few times and her eyes adjusted. Then she saw him. 

He was lying on the floor, so still she was afraid he was dead. Everything around her appeared to phase out of focus, and the blood-rushing in her ears blocked out every sound as well. Before she knew it, Rapunzel was running to where Jack lay, when she reached him, she saw that his lips were completely blue, so were his fingers and toes. She fell to her knees beside him, clutching his shoulders as she called out his name, trying desperately to shake him awake.

Merida and Hiccup walked through the door after Rapunzel, and squinted in the bright light. Merida saw Rapunzel shaking Jack, who lay motionless on the floor, screaming at him. She looked up at Hiccup as he looked down at her, and then scanned the room, but there was no sign of Elsa. The queen was gone.

Merida and Hiccup made their way to the centre of the room, where Jack lay. The Guardians followed them inside quickly, all 4 of them ran to where the friends had gathered, kneeling around Jack’s immobile form. North knelt beside Rapunzel, and reached out a hand to Jack. She instantly pushed his hand away, and put herself in front of him an a protective position. “Don’t touch him!” She huffed through sobs. Merida wrapped her arm around her, though Rapunzel barely seemed to notice.

North frowned sympathetically, and Rapunzel stared into his soft eyes.   
“I might be able to help.”   
She must have believed him, because Merida feel her relax against her. North moved closer to Jack and felt his chest. He instantly pulled his hand back as if he had burnt it.  
“What?” Rapunzel cried, “What is it? Is he burning?”  
North stared, wide-eyed at Jack, who looked like he was asleep, but now he knew better.   
“No. He’s COLD.” North muttered, frowning. “Like ice.”  
Rapunzel began to cry again, and she brushed his hair softly. She leaned over him and cradled his head, and one of her tears fell onto his face. Suddenly, where her tear had fallen, Jack’s skin got some of its colour back, but it quickly faded.

North sucked in a breath, and everyone else turned to look at him. Then at Rapunzel. She sat up straight and brushed a finger lightly on the spot where her tear had fallen.  
“You have healing powers?” North asked her, his eyes big and excited.   
Rapunzel stared back, her own eyes red and puffy from crying.   
“Yes…” She said in a small voice. She turned to see Hiccup and Merida exchanging questioning glances. “My hair,” she went on, “it glows and…” She looked away embarrassed, then quickly looked back at North, eyes wide.   
“Do you think it will work?” She didn’t wait for him to respond, gathering her long, shimmering hair, and piling it on top of Jack, a smaller strand she wrapped around his left hand, recalling that the heart was on the left side. Then she sat back and closed her eyes, sending up a silent prayer to someone, anyone, who might make this plan work. Then she began to sing.

“Flower, gleam and glow, let your power shine. Make the clock reverse, bring back what once was mine.”  
Rapunzel drew another breath to keep singing, but suddenly Jack sat up, gasping, making her jump back with a little yelp of surprise. It worked! Rapunzel thought, the colour began to return to Jack’s face and he looked at Rapunzel in amazement, but then he kept gasping, his eyes practically popping out of his head, his hands clawing at his chest.  
“He can’t breathe!” Rapunzel screamed. A ring of what looked like ice started to grow again around his chest, as if his heart were freezing from the inside out. Rapunzel watched helplessly as Jack’s body began to solidify.   
“No, no, NO…” Rapunzel sobbed, tears springing to her eyes again, she shook her head, willing the ice to stop spreading. She bunched up a pile of her hair onto Jack’s chest again and held his hand as she sang again. “Heal what has been hurt, change the fates’ design, save what has been lost, bring back what once was mine.” Rapunzel opened her eyes again and felt Jack squeeze her hand. She looked down at him, the ice had slowed, but it was still spreading, gradually covering his whole body, but he looked up at her as if he no longer felt it. His legs had frosted over, and his right hand, but the hand she was holding was still warm.

“I’m sorry.” He whispered, tears rolled down the sides of his face. “I didn’t mean…”  
“Shhh,” she hushed him soothingly, wiping his tears away, “it’s ok. It’s all ok.” It was as if everyone else had disappeared, and it was just the two of them, alone.  
She swallowed, tears spilling down her own face. “I love you.” She whispered, and lowered her forehead to his, and she gripped his hand, holding it close.  
“I love you.” She heard him say, before the hand she was holding went cold.

~


	21. Chapter 21

North had never seen this kind of magic before, even in the hundreds of years he had been a Guardian. The love he had just seen touched his heart, and he wished that the Guardians had some power that could save this boy. He looked to the other Guardians, and knew they felt the same thing. They all watched the scene in sad silence.

All of a sudden the room was filled with a blue light, and they all covered they eyes. After a moment, North and the other Guardians peered at the early night sky, which was visible through the tall window that curved over the domed ceiling. The moon shone through, surrounded by the Northern Lights that frequented the sky in this region.   
“Man on moon…” North whispered in awe, and the other Guardians did the same.  
North watched, their silent protector hardly ever intervened, the last time the moon had shone with this kind of power was when he had been named a Guardian. A scream jerked him from his thoughts, and the Guardians all turned to look. It was the princess, Merida who screamed. The blonde girl had fallen unconscious, and the boy, Jack, was gone.  
“Where’d he go?” Bunny demanded.   
North looked around, then up at the moon, but it had already moved out of view of the window. It would no longer help them.  
“Rapunzel?” Merida shook her friend gently, trying to wake her up. “What’s wrong with her?”

“She’ll be fine.” A voice said from behind them.  
They all turned in the direction of the door. Jack stepped out of the shadows, bare feet padding toward them silently.  
“She won’t remember any of this.” He crouched next to her, and brushed her cheek with the back of his hand so softly he hardly touched her. “And,” he looked up at Merida and Hiccup, sadness filling his features, “she won’t remember me.” He stood, and began to walk away. Surprise had them all silently staring, trying to make sense of what they were seeing.

“No!” It was Merida who spoke, Hiccup cringed as her voice echoed through the room, but Jack didn’t even looked surprised. “You can’t just make her forget! She loves you!”  
Jack just looked at her. His face was blank, but Hiccup could see the sadness in his eyes. He didn't understand, not in the slightest, but what he saw on Jack's face made him believe there was a reason behind his words.  
“Mer,” Hiccup put a hand on Merida’s shoulder. She looked up at him, confused and angry, but when she saw his expression her eyes softened.

Jack looked at Hiccup now. Hiccup swallowed and met Jack’s eyes. Blinking back tears, Hiccup nodded, and Jack stepped forward as if he were going to hug Hiccup, but stopped suddenly. Hiccup took a step forward too, his arm still around his own waist, wincing slightly. He reached out to grab Jack’s shoulder, but his hand went right through him. Hiccup’s eyes widened but Jack just looked ashamed.  
“She can’t love me anymore. You saw, it destroyed her.” His voice was strong, certain. Hiccup didn’t understand, there was something else, something Jack wasn’t telling them.  
“That’s not it, is it?” Hiccup asked. Jack looked, if he could, even more guilty, and looked away. “What?” Hiccup demanded. Jack finally made eye contact.  
“It chose me.” He said simply, as if it explained everything. “I’m one of them now.” He said, gesturing to the Guardians, who had been standing silently behind them the whole time. Hiccup still didn’t understand what was happening, but North stepped forward.  
“Jack, you cannot stay, Guardians have a responsibility to the world, you have a responsibility.”  
Jack looked down, he took his wand out of his hoodie pocket, and looked at it in his hand. Suddenly it grew, becoming a staff, a curve at one end.“Hiccup, you’re right, that’s not all. You heard them, I can’t stay. I’m not like you, I never was. And I'm not the person I was anymore either, I’m a Guardian now.” He stepped closer to Hiccup. “And no one can know. Do you see?”   
Hiccup watched him. After a moment, he nodded grudgingly. He was still confused, part of him still desperate to ask how he could just leave them. But he also knew that somehow, even though he stood right in front of him. Jack was dead.

“We’ll remember you.” He said, looking Jack in the eye, and wishing he could hug his friend again. “For her as well.”  
Jack’s eyes filled with tears. He nodded, and turned to go. Merida ran to Hiccup’s side, and called out. “Wait!” Jack turned back, and Merida stood by Hiccup, hugging her sides and trying not to cry. “Bye Jack.” She said simply, but it carried a wealth of emotion with it. Jack smiled his old, mischievous smile, a little sadder now, and walked out into the night. He stepped off the balcony and the wind carried him away.

~


	22. Chapter 22

The Great Hall was bustling with students and teachers, some eating, some simply wondering in different directions. Merida sat at the Gryffindor table, alone. She picked at her food, lost in thought. Out of the corner of her eye she saw two people enter through the main doors, and turned to see Hiccup walking towards the Ravenclaw table with his arm around a blonde girl, also from Ravenclaw. For a moment, the two of them shared a friendly, but sad smile, and Hiccup continued to his own house table.

Merida heard laughter from the other direction, and turned to see the golden trail of Rapunzel’s long hair stop at the Hufflepuff table, where she laughed as a cute-looking boy with chocolate-brown hair and freckles continued to steal flowers from her braid. Part of Merida was delighted to see her best friend so happy, but another part, a slightly bigger part of her was sad at what she could no longer remember.

It didn’t really surprise Merida, when they returned to Hogwarts, that no one had any memory of Jack Frost. She and Hiccup were the only two to remember he ever existed. But she knew he was alive, in a sense, and he had a purpose. Merida supposed she could be happy for him, and glad that he was out there somewhere, but she missed him. 

~


	23. Chapter 23

Far away, in a frozen hinterland, a storm was brewing.  
Any sense of sanity that Elsa had before the ordeal was quickly slipping, and her emotions grew more and more turbulent. She had just about started a snowstorm when a voice behind her said “I knew I’d see you again.”  
Elsa turned, panic and fear seizing her, and forcing her mind to shut down. This couldn’t be true, it couldn’t. But there he was, standing before her.   
The boy in the ice.

~


End file.
